Folding rule.



J. F. CLUGSTONE.

FOLDING RULE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 30, 1912.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I l M w w W 6 c h m, \N m w m M QN m\ N a g MN & Q Ni N JOHN FRANK GLUGSTONE, 0F WILLIAIVISPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING CRULE.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. i3, 191?.

Applicationfiled December 30, 1912. Serial No. 739,278.

fl '0 all whom it may 001mm.-

Be it known that I, JOHN FRANK CLUG- STONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vvilliamsport, in the county of Lycoining and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Folding Rules; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in measuring instruments, and is particularly concerned with folding pocket rules.

The object of thepresent invention is the provision of a rule of the character stated Wherein'is included a novelform of miter joint arrangedintermediate the ends of one of'the rule sections, and, thereforebettveen a pair of the usual straight hinges,' whereby the folding positions of the *rule are increased,'with a resultant adaptability of the rule for wider utility than the ordinary folding rule.

"A furtherobject of the invention is to provide in-the construction of a foldingrule ofthis character eflicient means for incorporating the miter joint therein and 'by whiclrthe' sectionsof the rule when folded at the initer joint will'be tightly hel'd'in the positions to which the same arefolded.

The invention'furtl'ier aims to provide such a' construction of miter joint that the contiguous sections of therule will always lie flat upon a surface, and' thusbe positioned in the same plane with respectto each other.

Having these general objects in View; and others "which willappear as the nature of tlieimproveinents is better understood, the inventionconsists substantially in the-novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a plan view of a folding rule embodying in its-construction the herein described "intention.

Fig, 21is an edge elevation of" the section iIriVhiCh theuniter jOi'nt is incorporated, "the joint being open.

Fig. 3 is a diagonal sectional "view on the line 33,Fig. 1.

Fig. at is a plan view illustrating the miter joint closed.

Fig. 5 is an elevation illustrating the hereindescribed rule folded for use as a trysquare.

Fi 6 is a similar View illustratingthe rule folded for use as a T-square.

"Fig. 7 is a view similar to Figs. 5 and 6 illustrating the rule folded for use as an ordinary square.

Fig. '8 is a fragmentary sectional view tl'irou'gh theinitcrjoint members, illustratillQtllGltCtiOll of the stop for limiting the swinging movement ofthe members when the jointis opened.

Referringin detail to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates a folding rule formed ofthe usual foursec'tions, the intermediate sections being connected by the usual circular joint QQWhile the end sections are connected to the intermediate sec tions by the usual straightjoint 3. Inthis respect the present invention follows the common folding pocket rule,but, as before stated, the present invention aims to increase the range of utility of thebrdinary rule,

and to this en done of the intermediate sections hasincorporated therein a miter-joint l. Th'e*joint tincludcs a pair of complementalsections b each of which is provided with a plurality of parallel spaced attaching lugs Gysaid lugs beingadapted to be inserted into'the portions of the intermediate section ofthe rule with which the miter joint is associated, and to be secured therein ness than the'body ofthe joint aunt-1 also less in thickness than thatof the 1'ul'e*sections, thereby forming tongues 8 the free edges of whichare providedwith eyes 9. The eyesof *the "tongues '8 interfit, and arranged in said interengaged eyes is a pivot pin 10 on which the sections 5 of the miter joint are adapted to fold. It will be observed that the eyes 9 are wholly within the cutout portions of the sections 5, said eyes also lying within the dimensions of the rule sections, and because of this it will be seen that when the sections 5 are folded upon each other, as illustrated in Figs. at, 5, (3 and 7, the tongues 8 lie in superposed relation, thereby positioning corresponding sides of the rule sections in the same plane, so that no projections extend at the sides of the rule. This enables the rule sections to lie perfectl y flat upon a surface, and facilitates the use of the rule in determining or marking angles.

By reason of the formation of the tongues S, shoulders 11 are formed upon each of the sections 5, and each of the latter abuts against the shoulder of the other section when the rule is folded at the miter joint, which shoulders, being perfectly square, and each fitting tightly against the other section, assist in holding the sections of the miter joint in folded position. To supplement this holding action of the shoulders 11, one of the tongues 8 is provided with a stud 12 which enters and fits within a socket 13 formed in the other section 8, and this engagement of the stud 12 with th socket 13 also serves to impart rigidity to the joint in its folded condition.

To limit the swinging movement of the sections 8, when being opened, the eye 9 of one of the same has a square shoulder 14 which enters the space between the eyes 9 of the other section and abuts against the latter. Hence, when the shoulder 14 makes contact with the other section the movement of the sections 8 with respect to each other, when being opened, is limited.

To facilitate introduction of the pivot pin 10 to the eyes 9 the diagonally opposite corners of the sections 5, immediately below the shoulders 11 thereof, are cut out to form recesses 15, said recesses being in alinement with? the angular disposition of the eyes 9, and thus the pin 10 may be readily introduced to and removed from the eyes 9.

In the use of the hereindescribed rule the miter joint incorporated therein imparts thereto a wider range of utility than is the case with the ordinary folding pocket rule. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the miter joint is closed, thereby placing the two portions of the intermediate section of the rule with which the joint is incorporated at right angles to each other. This folded position adapts the rule for use as a try-square, and it will be readily perceived that the angle at the folded miter joint provides a perfect square. In Fig. 6 is illustrated the folded position of the rule adapting it for use as a T-square. In this arrangement the miter joint is closed, and the end section of the rule folded back upon one portion of the intermediate section, thus constituting the head of the square. In Fig. 7 the miter joint is illustrated as closed, while the end sections of the rule are open, thus permitting the rule to be used as an ordinary square or triangle.

An important feature of the present invention is the fact that the miter joint is so incorporated in the rule as to throw the outer portion of the intermediate section and the contiguous end section of the rule to that edge of th rule which is opposite from the circular center joint 2, as seen in Fig. 7, whereby collapsing of the rule at the center joint is reduced to a minimum, and the members of the intermediate section of the rule are firmly held in right angular re lation when the miter joint is closed or folded.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is: i

1. A. folding hinge for rule sections consisting of a pair of oblong members jointed on a line diagonal to their length, each of said members having the thickness of the rule sections but having a cut-away portion of less thickness than the thickness of the rule sections, said cut-away portions having interengaging eyes lying within the dimensions of the rule sections, and means for pivoting the eyes so as to form the diagonal joint of the hinge.

2. A folding hinge for rule sections, consisting of a pair of oblong members jointed on a line diagonal to their length, each of said members having the thickness of the rule sections and including a tongue of less thickness than the thickness of the rule sections and a. shouldered portion adjacent said tongue, the tongues of said members being provided with interengaging eyes lying within the dimensions of said shouldered portions, said tongues also lying in superposed relation in the folded condition of the joint and thereby positioning corresponding sides of the rule sections in the same plane, and means for pivoting the eyes so as to form the diagonal joint of the hinge.

3. A folding hinge for rule sections consisting of a pair of oblong members jointed on a line diagonal to their length, each of said members having the thickness of the rule sections and including a tongue of less thickness than the thickness of the rule sections and a shouldered portion adjacent to said tongue, the tongues of said members being provided with interengaging eyes, said tongues lying in superposed relation in the folded condition of the joint and thereby positioning corresponding sides of the rule sections in the same plane, and a fastening pin arranged in the eyes of the tongues and forming a pivot. for the same, the diagonally-opposite corners of said shouldered portions being recessed in alinement with the angular disposition of said eyes to permit the application of said fastening pin to said eyes.

4. A folding rule, comprising a plurality of sections. and a miter joint arranged in on of said sections and formed of a pair of members the contiguous portions of which are joined on a line diagonal to their length, the members of said oint being cut away to provide shoulders for abutting against the opposite section when the rule is folded at the miter joint.

A folding rule, comprising in combination, intermediate sections joined by a center joint, and sections carried by each of said intermediate sections, and a miter joint carried by one of said intermediate sections to fold into a thickness equaling the thick ness of the sections and to throw the end section carried thereby over and into contact with the second intermediate section to form a cross-like structure having four right angles.

In testimony whereof I ai'tix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN FRANK CLUGSTONE.

Witnesses THOMAS 7001), Jason Goss.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, 1). U. 

